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<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080>Dear Marei,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080>I
especially appreciate you sharing your own self-reflective process. My own
hidden agendas have often come to light when I realize that I've been
encouraging the sponsor(s) to invite a "more inclusive" group.
More is not always better. Whoever comes...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080>Open Space work has certainly gone a long way to keeping me honest
about my own biases. Reminds me of a bit of trivia I just received about
one of our favorite English/American expressions:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18px">In the 16th
and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. <BR>It was also
before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure
were common.<BR><BR>It was shipped dry, because in that form it weighed a lot
less than when wet, but once water at sea hit it, it not only became heavier,
but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane
gas.<BR><BR>As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what
could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time
someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!<BR><BR>Several ships were
destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was
happening.<BR><BR>After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the
term "Ship High In Transit" on them which meant for the sailors to stow it high
enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not
touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.<BR><BR>Thus
evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which has come down through the centuries and is in
use to this very day.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18px"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18px"><SPAN
class=718230617-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080 size=3>Might
this also speak to what we all need to do with our shit - ship high (be
transparent - reveal your own stuff) in transit (as we journey to new lands
together :-) ?</FONT><SPAN class=406580717-28042004><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT color=#008080><FONT
size=3><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Viner Hand ITC"
color=#008080><EM><STRONG>Christine</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT
color=#008080>Christine Whitney Sanchez<BR><FONT color=#800080>Triune Milagro,
LTD</FONT><BR>2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue<BR>Phoenix, AZ
85048-8990<BR>milagro27@cox.net<BR>480.759.0262
phone<BR>480.759.0403 fax<BR></FONT>VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
</FONT></FONT><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><A
href="http://www.triunemilagro.com/">www.triunemilagro.com</A>
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT
color=#800080><EM>Invoking the wisdom and capacity of the human spirit!
</EM></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Marei
Kiele<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 28, 2004 4:05 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Can we be space invaders
?? - similar experiences<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>Dear Gerard,</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>back on the
web after three weeks off I am overwhelmed by some 300 postings to be read.
And more and more are coming in each day. I started answering your mail before
I left but didn't have the chance to send it any more. Sorry for my being late
- but I decide to write late better than not at all - loving your idea of
sharing our mistakes, ups, our learnings ;-)</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Opposite to Harrison I agree with you. So if I
believed in the idea of space invaders (which for me is a theoratical
construction I don't like very much - who decides when space is invaded and
when not?) I'd say you did invade - I guess already by asking the question.
Questions open. But on the other hand they lead (in german we have this
saying: "Wer fragt, der führt" = "who is asking is leading"). And should not
the participants of an open space be their own leaders?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>You wrote:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>"If there would be a good reason for this to happen, what would that
reason be ??"</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>and </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>"Why invading the space was the only thing this
facilitator could do ?"</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>One of
the many possible good reasons (and of course there was one) could have been
that the facilitator felt so connected with the pain or the fear he witnessed
that he couldn't wait till they found their own problem-serving-strategy. And
as you said: He was totally convinced to serve the system.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Thank you for sharing. I like your two questions
very much and find them very helpful for accepting what I or others are
doing.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Will you be solving the
riddle one day?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>With
love,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Marei</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>PS: I tried to escape without my own share - but
opened up this posting before sending it out. Here it
comes:</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Facilitating a
prepatory-meeting some weeks ago I tried to convince the planing-commitee to
invite additional people by saying "I as a facilitator would include...".
First I thought this was only because of my being attached to the outcome and
my fearing the group might be to small for finding out the suitable theme. And
later I took a deeper look into myself and discovered a second reason: I had
prefered doing something else on the date we fixed and by including these new
people the date would have been defered. And I didn't want to let go of my
other plans without being sure the prep-meeting was going to be
sucessful.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Fortunately they stayed
to their own intention, we meet in a small group on the agreed-upon date and
had a wonderful meeting (with conflict inside the group showing up and all the
timetable going down the tubes me doing nothing but witnessing...).
</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>In the end it's been a great
experience and learning-opportunity for me. And the group was satisfied with
my work, too.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000a0
size=2>Anybody else out there with similar experiences?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>Marei</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>"Harrison Owen" <hhowen@comcast.net>
schrieb:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I guess
I see your action less as "invading the space" than as "opening
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space." The
significant thing to me is that you posed a question ("What is</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> the most important topic we have
forgotten?"). In my experience, questions</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> open space. Statements close it. We see this
happening every time we open</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> space with something like -- "What are the issues and
opportunities (fill in</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> the blank)?" I think the atmosphere would be radically different
were we to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> begin
with a statement. And then when you "let go the arms of the chair"
You</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> offered a
choice -- again another question.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> I see my major role as facilitator in terms of keeping the space
open, even</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> when
that becomes quite uncomfortable. Ordinarily this can be done
without</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> saying a
word -- just be present and open yourself. I don't have a clue
how</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> this works,
but I have seen it happen again and again. The folks get
stuck,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> and I just
sit there. I suppose they are expecting that I will "fix it"
--</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> but I just
hang in there as a witness to the unasked question(s). Most
times</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I don't
even know what the question is -- most particularly when the</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> operative language is one I don't
understand. But there do come times when</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> some more overt word or action seems to be called
for -- but only after</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> being a silent witness for longer than you can bare. It is a
dangerous call,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
for it is quite likely that things are going on beneath the surface in
ways</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> that you (I)
will never understand. God forbid that you jump in with an</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> answer (statement) just as the
folks are figuring it all out for themselves.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> But with a question, there are
choices, and if you have misperceived the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> situation I find that the folks just smile at your
lack of cultural</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
awareness. Humbling for sure, but not fatal.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Harrison</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Harrison Owen</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> 7808 River Falls
Drive</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Potomac,
Maryland 20845</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Phone 301-365-2093</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Open Space Institute
www.openspaceworld.org</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Personal website
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view
the archives Visit:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>>
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> -----Original
Message-----</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Gerard</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Muller</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Sent:
Thursday, April 01, 2004 5:47 AM</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Subject: Can we be space invaders
??</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> In one of the
Open Spaces I facilitated seven years ago I featured as a</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space invader.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> It took me a long time to begin
to look at it that way, so here it is.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> The client was a national association, the issue an internal
conflict -</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
basically concerning the interface between the national Board of
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> organization
and the regional ones.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> The
chairman opened and clearly stated the issue, ending with
something</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
like:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> "I am
convinced that if we do not solve this issue together, our</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> organization could
die.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Help us resolve it "</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> And everyone involved was there.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Plenty of topics on the
agenda.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Not a
single one directly related to the central issue - as far as I</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> could see.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> After half an hour, the first
participant came and complained "The most</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> important topic is not on</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> the agenda !". So I suggested he
might put it there. "No, I am not the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> right person to do this".</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Number 2, 3 and 4 came. Same
story.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> To number
five I said "you are the fifth who tells me you need this</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> topic but that you are not the
right person to put it there, I wonder</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> why ?".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> More followed.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> By lunch time, the situation was unchanged.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Instead of continuing to do what
I was doing, I made a sign posted where</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> all would pass by when returning from lunch saying
"What is the most</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
important topic we have forgotten ?".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Right after lunch, someone posted the missing topic (at the time
I</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> thought I had
"helped", little did I know).</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Everybody had soon left all other discussions and 70 participants
were</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> talking in a
room I never had though could contain so many people.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Something important was clearly
going on there.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> But it was the
closing circle that really got me.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> The first person said "I am quite willing to say
what I have to say, but</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> only if the National Board promises to take me
seriously"</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> The
second one said "I will speak, but only if everyone else promises
to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
speak"</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I could not help
myself. I felt all that had been achieved was at risk</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> of going down the drain
again.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> So I
forgot to hold on to the armrests of my chair and invaded the</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> "This morning your chairman asked
your help to solve a problem. If you</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> choose to continue this way, you might be back where
you started from.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Or you could choose to do something else".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> I sat down again. It seemed like 140 angry eyes looked at me.
There was</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> a
silence.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Then,
there was a constructive closing.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I
really like the principle "Whatever happens......" .</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I have come to develop a habit
that if something happens which really</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> should not have (given my expectations, statistics,
what have you) to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
ask myself "If there would be a good reason for this to happen,
what</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> would that
reason be ??</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> So what is your
guestimate as to why invading the space was the only</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> thing this facilitator could do
?</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Similar
experiences ?</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Greetings from
Svenmark,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Gerard Muller</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Open Space Institute
Denmark</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Phone
(+45) 21269621</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
gm@openspace.dk</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
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